(Review originally written at 31 October 2006)
By no means this is the best short Laurel & Hardy film but it still one that offers some decent entertainment, which is thanks to the stupidity and clumsiness of the boys, especially Laurel's.
The movie and its story are rather simple. It relies on simple one comical premise; The boys trying to break in at the police chief's house, at the request of Officer Kennedy, so he can capture the boys later on and impress his chief, who is not very pleased with the 42 unsolved robberies committed on Officer Kennedy's watch. If the boys don't help Officer Kennedy out, they'll go to jail for 90 days for sleeping in a public park. Sometimes one simple comical premise is enough to fill an entire entertaining and hilarious movie with but the slapstick and moments in this movie begin to get rather tiresome after a while, since it's mostly more of the same, when the boys begin to try and break-in. The movie is perhaps lacking in great true comical originality but yet it's perfectly executed in the movie, which still makes sure that this movie is a very good and fun one to watch.
The Laurel & Hardy regulars also make sure that this movie provides some great entertainment, such as James Finlayson as Meadows, the police chief's aid and Edgar Kennedy. Kennedy's role is rather limited down, almost to an non-comical one. Baldwin Cooke also shows up in a small part as one of the police officers.
The comical situations and slapstick in the movie works out well, though it's never anything too original. It's one of the reasons why this movie is not really more than a slightly above average Laurel & Hardy short, that is perhaps a bit disappointing, despite its entertainment value.
7/10
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